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Episode 25
Summary Clay pitches an alternative plan to resurrecting the paladin, Ellen, and the party sets forth northward to pursue the lead. What awaits them is an ominous obelisk, a door unmovable only to those who aren't the Goodest of Boys, and a bunch of angry snake people. Somehow, this doesn't set off any red flags. Recap * Everyone takes a long rest and takes the opportunity to sleep in. Clay wakes up early and seeks out Warren, telling him that someone told him "in confidence" that there's an easier way to possibly resurrect Ellen without having to go to Oleander. Warren is suspicious, so Clay elaborates that the person who told him was Caroline who told him. Warren, suspecting that he has just as likely a chance of being killed from the advice of a spooky gun than an Astaran church, agrees to back up Clay's plan before he tells the others. * Jaime makes breakfast with the rest of the food she brought from home, which seems to encourage everyone to finally get up. * Clay explains to the rest of the party that there's a possible alternative about a day's ride away, marked by a landmark of some kind and hidden deep. If they can get into it, he says, there's someone there powerful enough to resurrect someone. He also explains that Caroline was slight on the details not because she wanted to be, but because she can't remember them. Everyone agrees to go along with this plan. * Jaime goes to saddle the horses to get them ready for the day for their trip northward. Clay also mentions about how in his dream that he learned that at one time Caroline was apparently Jericho's wife, and that he now has another mark. Clancy stops him from elaborating further, saying how they'd talk about that particular detail later, and they head out shortly after. * Clay, apparently assisted by a subtle pull in his mind, guides everyone through the canyon fairly quickly. They eventually come across an obelisk - the landmark Caroline mentioned, apparently. The weather starts to get unusually cloudy. * A small group approaches the obsidian obelisk and investigate. Keegan brushes some of the dust away from its weathered surface to reveal a snake, its jaws open and a stylistic depiction of a crown around its neck. It doesn't take much to assume that this is supposed to be Lycerus. * Jaime checks to see if the obelisk is magical, but it isn't. Clay gets another pulling sensation to move forward, abandoning the obelisk as merely a marker for what lies ahead. * Aided by Caroline once more, Clay is placed in a spot where hidden among the stone is a door. The design upon it is two serpents tied together in an infinity knot with writing inscribed, although none in the party understand what it means. There are holes along the bottom of the door big enough for someone to get their arm through, but no apparent mechanism to open it. * Clay casts Comprehend Languages and attempts to read the writing, which is in Draconic. He translates: "LEAVE IN PEACE, PURE ONES; OR REMAIN IN CHAINS." * Jaime attempts to look through one of the holes, but only sees a chamber beyond and no mechanisms. Keegan checks it for traps or arcane sigils, but nothing appears obvious. Finally, Rogg attempts to just open the door - and succeeds. * Everyone runs inside before the door shuts again. They enter into a chamber with a disturbingly lifelike statue of a snake crushing an elven woman in its coils.There are dozens of human finger bones littered around the base. Clancy sticks his ear up against the wall and hears some scratching noises like something is moving around, but otherwise comes up with nothing. * Keegan picks a lock to a door, revealing a bunch of snakes. The door is shut. * Keegan investigates the next door that was left ajar. Inside reveals a bunch of alchemical supplies, looting two healing potions and five other unidentifiable vials. * Everyone comes out into the hallway and Clay, being directed to pick a direction, turns up towards the door on the right. The party is immediately thrown into initiative between a bunch of yuan-ti. * Rogg gets surprised by a bunch of sneeple after being the one to go on ahead. Beyond the threshold the party can see several more aggressive individuals, one of which charms Clancy. The fight goes... not great. Rogg goes down, then gets up again, because you'll never gonna get him down. * Clay aims his gun at the big snake and casts Harm, reducing its health significantly. Keegan gets assaulted badly by sneeple. The large sneeple (snerson?) affected by Harm polymorphs into a snake and runs away into one of the snake holes littered throughout the room. Clancy is able to break the charm previously put on him. * Slowly but surely the rest of the party mows down their enemies, although with several major injuries and desperately needing to rest. They decide to move on anyway from the room they now recognize as a nursery of some kind, coming across a great deal of blood and a severely wounded man who's barely alive. Jaime heals him and they escort him to the door but can't find a way to open it. * Clancy and Jaime try to discern the nature of the beasts they previously killed. Clancy knows nothing about them, but Jaime's accent changes again to describe them as yuan-ti, followers of Lyserus. Jaime has no idea this even happened, but the voice is in a different accent than the one who identified the behir. * Rogg successfully opens the door again to let the commoner out, but don't exit themselves ominous foreshadowing music. * With their good deed accomplished the party hides in the nursery, Rhekki throwing/consuming eggs, and mostly closing the door behind them. About twenty minutes later they hear a noise of a couple individuals saying something indistinct before disappearing. * Session ends with a discussion whether to pursue to voices or not. Eventually they come to the decision to short rest in the nursery, so that the wounded among them can recuperate. Items Found * 2 healing potions consumed by Rogg, 1 held by Clancy * 4 vials of dark red mystery liquid * 1 vial of red mystery liquid